BOULDER — I’ve had some inquiries into whatever happened to sophomore Yuri Wright, last year’s ballyhoed recruit from Spring Valley, N.Y., whom PrepStar Dream Team ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the country.

It may seem like he has disappeared but he hasn’t. He’s listed third string behind sophomore Kenneth Crawley, a returning starter, and true freshman Chidobe Awuzie, the starting nickel back. It isn’t due to performance. Wright has missed a lot of practice time with injuries.

The secondary at Colorado is very fluid. He is expected to contribute this year

Oregon State — Coach Mike Riley names junior Sean Mannion starting quarterback He did the same last year and Mannion started 4-0, hurt his knee and watched Cody Vaz, again No. 2, excel. When Mannion played again he looked awful against Washington. But he dramatically cut down on his turnovers in camp.

Arizona State — Tailback Marion Grice (19 TDs in 2012) has become surprise weapon after transfer from Blinn JC.

Oregon — New shiny Football Performance Center sparkles in functionality as much as bells and whistles. A barbershop, a skybridge, underground parking. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt said it’s the nicest building he’s ever seen.

Stanford — Nearly all of Cardinal’s ferocious Front 7 return after leading nation in sacks with 57, the most in at least 10 years. Yet not one player was in the top 25 in sacks. The three defensive linemen in the 3-4 combined for 21. Fifteen different players had sacks and 12 return.

FORT COLLINS — Let’s take a second to be honest. Not brutally. But honest. Last season, the Colorado State defense line was in shambles. Undersized and undermanned it was in such dire straits that Lanston Tanyi transferred to CSU in the summer from another program with no knowledge of the coaches or the Rams program and just one year of eligibility to learn everything and play – and was the best player on the defensive front.

Injuries didn’t help. And because of all of that, CSU defensive coaches had to junk it up with the front seven in order to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks or hold gaps to slow down running backs.

DU junior goalie Jamie Faus is scheduled to play the second half Saturday against Syracuse in an NCAA semifinal game at Philadelphia. Sophomore Ryan LaPlante is the scheduled starter.

The University of Denver men’s lacrosse team is as healthy as it’s been all year, coach Bill Tierney said, with junior midfielder Jeremy Noble close to 100 percent. That’s great news for a team making its second Final Four appearance in three years. In 2011 the Pioneers made history; this year they are primed to contend for the championship.

Noble has been limited to nine games (eight starts) with multiple lower-body injuries. He played sparingly in the NCAA opener against Albany but significantly more last week against North Carolina. He had a goal against the Tar Heels, after clanging two shots off pipes. Tierney said Noble, a Canadian speedster, should play as much as he has all season on Saturday against Syracuse (15-3).

The Pioneers (14-4) were scheduled to depart for Philadelphia this afternoon, and plan on staying through Monday, after the NCAA championship game against Duke (14-5) or Cornell (14-3). Tierney said sophomore Ryan LaPlante, who was pulled late in the first quarter against UNC, will start Saturday and continue to platoon at halftime with junior Jamie Faus, who took the 14-8 loss against Virginia in the 2011 national semifinal in Baltimore.

“Last time we were kind of caught off guard with all the activities we had to do — the Thursday banquet, meet-and-greet with the fans — and now that we’re leaving a day earlier, we can lay low and relax for one night and really get our minds right,” DU senior midfielder Cameron Flint said. “Having people that have already been there is really going to help. We’re already prepared for it. We know it’s going to be hectic and I don’t think we’re going to be in such awe.”

Look for a feature story about DU leading scorer Eric Law from Arapahoe High in Thursday’s paper and online.

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BOULDER — Sophomore defensive back Sherrard Harrington is taking a medical redshirt. Out of Washington’s Howard D. Woodson High, Harrington suffered hip and knee injuries during his redshirt freshman season in 2011 and he didn’t record a statistic last year.

“His hip had bothered him before and it was starting to bother him (again),” first-year coach Mike MacIntyre said after Tuesday’s practice. “We all know how hips are. It’s been nagging him a lot. He hasn’t been able to go full speed all the time.”

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Please see DU line chart below. The Pioneers have just 11 forwards and six defensemen available, because freshman W Garrett Allen has a finger injury and junior W Jarrod Mermis is on a leave of absence on the heels of his brother’s departure from the team to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Freshman D Dakota Mermis was apparently unhappy at DU and wanted to make a mid-season change. It appears Jarrod, who has been in the coaching staff’s doghouse for much of the season, is evaluating his options before schools resumes Monday. Of course, nobody wants to see a kid turn down a college education, particularly as a junior. But it is also a shame to see a freshman bail on his commitment to any team and, in this case, leave his NCAA squad high and dry.

DU began the season with just seven D, because junior Wade Bennett was forced to hang ’em up before the season because of nagging injuries.

Hey, we all want to play in the NHL, and the college route isn’t for everybody. But word is Dakota Mermis — who played in all 19 games and had one goal and four points at DU — was a good student but has a history of “not being happy,” and that might stem from the advise he was getting. He joined the U.S. National Development Program in 2010, signing the standard two-year commitment. But after he played 2010-11 for the U17 team, he sought his release, and I hear the departure wasn’t easy or pretty. He joined the USHL’s stacked Green Bay Gamblers last season, playing for former DU assistant Derek Lalonde, and according to sources, he or his advisers often thought he wasn’t treated right.

FORT COLLINS – The adjustment period continues for first-year Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy, whose team looks for its sixth-straight win to open the season with a Saturday afternoon tilt against Evansville.

The game is part of the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge. And in this, the final installment of the four-year agreement, it has already produced one of college basketball’s biggest early-season upsets: Boise State beating No. 11 Creighton on the road on Wednesday night. By 13 points, even.

But that result matters little to Eustachy, whose attention is on the Purple Aces. He just wants to put a normal starting lineup on the court so he can craft a steady eight or nine-player rotation. He can’t do that right now because A) starting power forward Pierce Hornung is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a hit to the face he took in CSU’s game against Washington; and B) other injuries causing key players like Dorian Green to miss a game (Basically: he played one minute against Chadron State) and Greg Smith, who had his nose reset earlier this week after breaking it in a recent practice. He’ll wear a protective mask against Evansville.

“We haven’t really been able to get them all together,” Eustachy said. “So what we’ve done based on what we have is impressive.”

The Rams are 5-0 heading into The Game Before CU, with their most impressive victory coming at Washington. Still, learning his team has been a bigger chore than Eustachy would have liked as CSU closes in on one month prior to the start of conference season.

“I know when it’s right and when it’s wrong,” Eustachy said. “We’re just not right, right now as far as guys coming, guys going, guys out. I’m just not used to it. I’m not used to all of these distractions. But we’re adjusting and we know we have a real tough one tomorrow.”

Evansville is 4-2 on the season with losses to Notre Dame and Buffalo. They have just one player – Ned Cox (10.2 ppg) – that has a double-figure points average, but seven total players that average five or more points.

Meanwhile, CSU is without Hornung, who Eustachy said is not cleared for the Evansville game and is extremely doubtful for next Wednesday’s game against Colorado.

“Even if cleared I may hold him out for a couple of weeks,” Eustachy said, adding he is not sure who will start in Hornung’s place. CSU will have the services of Smith, who missed practice on Wednesday due to getting his nose reset.

“I’m just used to guys being at practice everyday unless something is broken,” Eustachy said. “That’s where I’m real proud of Greg. He had something broken, and he was there. I don’t think he would have done that in the past. I think he’s really grown up a lot, but he has to stay with it.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

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FORT COLLINS – In some respects, it has been the cruelest of seasons for Chris Nwoke.

This was supposed to be his breakout year, start to finish, as Colorado State’s workhorse at running back following an 1,110-yard performance in 2011. Instead, it has turned out to be anything but that. Pretty much the complete opposite.

Instead of breaking out, with two games remaining Nwoke finds himself trying to break back in as a big contributor on offense. Ankle injuries have been the most consistent part of his season. He’s been in-and-out of the lineup as a result, and not at full-strength in many of the other games in which he’s participated.

Arizona — Quarterback Matt Scott has a concussion and is questionable for Saturday’s game against visiting Colorado. Scott suffered the injury Saturday at UCLA. If he doesn’t play, junior college-transfer B.J. Denker will replace him. Scott has led Arizona to the No. 10 offense in the country. He is fifth in the Pac-12 in pass efficiency at 137.1. He’s 242-of-386 for 2,848 yards with nine interceptions and 20 touchdowns.

My Monday commentary is on coach John Wristen and the CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves, the nation’s top-ranked Division II team heading into the final week of the regular season. It’s in the paper and here. I haven’t been able to see the ThunderWolves in person yet this season, but I’ve made several trips to Pueblo to write features on the program during its amazing progress since beginning play in 2008. I’ve always enjoyed myself on those excursions, and not only because any trip that includes a Slopper burger, Pueblo’s delicacy, is a good trip.

Here’s something I didn’t get in the Monday piece: I also asked Wristen about the situation at Colorado, where he was a graduate assistant in 1990-91 and the tight ends coach on Gary Barnett’s staff from 1999-2005. For the final four seasons, Jon Embree also was on the Buffaloes’ staff, so Wristen knows CU’s second-year head coach.

Utah — Utes coach Kyle Whittingham and Washington State’s Mike Leach are best friends who couldn’t be more different on the field and off. Whittingham runs the ball; Leach passes it. Whittingham is a fitness nut; Leach once rode his bike in Key West. One can barely be heard on the coaches’ conference call; Leach’s comments can be heard from coast to coast. They meet Saturday in Salt Lake City where the two often meet when Leach comes to visit his in-laws.

FORT COLLINS – Quarterback Conner Smith is confirmed starter for Colorado State’s game on Saturday against Hawaii, coach Jim McElwain said this afternoon at his weekly news conference.

Smith, a redshirt freshman from Richmond, TX, will make his first collegiate start against the Rainbow Warriors. He’s getting the chance due to multiple injuries at the position. The starter, Garrett Grayson, has been out since breaking his clavicle against Air Force on Sept. 29. Grayson’s backup, M.J. McPeek, was injured in CSU’s last game, at San Diego State on Oct. 13. Smith took over in that game and finished 18-for-22 for 165 yards and an interception.

McPeek (shoulder) is still not 100 percent, but will be ready for reserve duty should the Rams need it on Saturday.

Arizona State — Arizona Republic columnist Bob Young says Thursday night’s home game with second-ranked Oregon has similarities to 1996 upset of two-time defending champ Nebraska. Those Cornhuskers had won 26 in a row, including 37 in the regular season. Oregon has won three straight conference titles. Arizona State beat that Nebraska team, 19-0, with Scott Frost the Cornhuskers’ quarterback. Frost is now Oregon’s receivers coach. Quarterbacking that ASU team was Jake Plummer; quarterbacking this ASU team is Taylor Kelly, also an Idaho product.

Healing is the buzzword this bye week for Colorado State, and it has plenty of players that will spend significant time in the training room.

Quarterback M.J. McPeek (shoulder) is not expected to start CSU’s next game, Oct. 27 against Hawaii. In fact, coach Jim McElwain is hoping the senior can be ready enough to be the backup quarterback when that game rolls around.

“We’re hopeful, as we are with all of these guys, that we can get him back sooner than later,” McElwain said. “It is a non-throwing shoulder, which is good. This week will be heavy rehab, and hopefully we can get him in a backup role, is what we’re trying to look for as we move forward.”

“Its by no means for us to use as an excuse,” McElwain said. “But we need to make sure some of our younger guys step up and play. And we’re really looking forward to this week’s practices.”

Meanwhile, quarterback Garrett Grayson (clavicle), has started throwing but McElwain stressed the Rams are taking it very slowly and cautiously with the sophomore as to not set him back. In the meantime, Grayson, who has missed the last three games, is trying to stay sharp through intensive study.

“He’s been up here constantly,” McElwain said. “He’s doing a great job from a mental standpoint, preparation-wise. The key is how do you learn to take a mental rep when you’re not physically out there performing the task?

“He’s actually thrown in some drills – routes on air, and that type of thing. But we’ve got to be very protective because it is obviously his non-throwing shoulder. The thing that you have to worry about is taking that hit on it, and the last time I checked in this game of football you’ve got a chance of taking a hit.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

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For Thursday night’s ESPN game vs. Arizona State, injuries have left Colorado will be without its leading rusher (tailback Christian Powell, thigh bruise), top pass rusher (defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, ankle sprain), a starting cornerback (Yuri Wright, concussion) and a starter at defensive tackle (Justin Solis, concussion).

Also out is Paul Vigo (foot), who is one of the top reserves at linebacker. Senior safety Ray Polk had hoped to play for the first time since suffering a severe high-ankle sprain in the season opener against Colorado State but is listed as “doubtful.”

Done for the year is freshman tailback Terrance Crowder, who suffered a torn ACL in practice on Oct. 3.

FORT COLLINS – There is a chance Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson could be back to action soon after the team’s bye week, coach Jim McElwain said.

It’s a surprising development given the fact Grayson had surgery last week to repair a broken clavicle. The recovery time was said to be 4-6 weeks. If Grayson gets back immediately after the break it would mean he’d have missed just two games and three weeks total.

“There still is hope for both of those guys as we come after the bye week to see where it is, with (Zach) Tiedgen and Garrett,” McElwain said.

Tiedgen, a defensive lineman, has missed one game with a knee injury and will miss Saturday’s game as well before being evaluated to possibly play against Hawaii on Oct. 27. As for Grayson, the injury was a bad one, but he’s apparently bouncing back quickly.

“It was a horrible break, but they plated it,” McElwain said. “It’s actually going to be stronger when it starts to heal because of that plate.”

Asked again if Grayson would be back prior to the end of the season, he said, “We’ll see, but we’re not striking that out of the record, either.”

Meanwhile, as expected, senior cornerback Momo Thomas will not play again for CSU. His shoulder surgery was last week.

“When they got in there, it was a mess,” McElwain said. “He’s got a very uncomfortable looking sling.”

Other players questionable for Saturday are safeties Austin Gray (concussion) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (stinger), and defensive end John Froland (stinger).

As far as roster moves, it appears walk-on Conner Roggy has earned a starting spot at safety, partly because the Rams need help as multiple injuries have depleted the secondary, but also because the sophomore out of Greeley West has played well enough to warrant it.

“Rog’s in,” said McElwain of Roggy, who had two tackles and a PBU against Fresno State. “And you know what? He deserves it. He deserves it because of what he has invested, the way he plays the game, the way he prepares and studies for the game. And he came up big in the second half of last game.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

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Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson is helped off the field after being injured during the first half against Air Force. (The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Rich Abrahamson)

FORT COLLINS – In general, Colorado State coach Jim McElwain looks at the injury situation on his team and is satisfied.

“When you look at it, from an injury standpoint, basically five games through your season, it’s really not that bad,” he said. “When you look at what has happened in the past when there were some pretty catastrophic things that occurred throughout the roster.”

And yet this week he’s watching two of his best players — quarterback Garrett Grayson and cornerback Momo Thomas — go under the knife. Grayson underwent surgery Monday morning to repair a broken clavicle. Thomas’ shoulder surgery is set for Wednesday, McElwain said.

This all reminds me of a 1988 line by veteran college writer Steve Richardson, then of the Dallas Morning News, when Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson kept writers out of practices for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team and also limited interviews. “What’s Thompson doing in there, building the bomb or something?” Richardson quipped.

Colorado’s practices are closed. But I can’t complain because unlike with many programs, CU makes all players and coaches available to the media after practices. (Except this year when true freshmen were off-limits until the first game, a policy that Buffs coach Jon Embree said “won’t be a lifetime decision.”)

What irks reporters more than closed practices is a college coach choosing which players or assistants are trotted out for interviews. Under that policy, what are the odds that reporters get to talk to the player who made a key fumble? I’m glad CU hasn’t restricted us to that extent.

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Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.